Audience
The system's initial task was to get close to the male protagonist.
Later, Jiang Yi inquired carefully about the boundaries of this so-called "closeness," and it turned out to refer not to physical intimacy, but to emotional intimacy. In other words, she needed to gain the male lead's complete trust and uncover his secrets...
Although He Lin promised her that he would tell her everything in person sooner or later, it was easier said than done. Time waits for no one, and how long could her body hold out in real life? What if she didn't want to leave by then...?
There are too many variables, and Jiang Yi is really unsure.
"Miss!"
Xia Zhi's voice came from behind her. Jiang Yi stirred the calm river water twice and then stood up.
"Miss, I'm back."
Xia Zhi's bangs were blown to both sides by the wind, forming a V-shape, and her panting appearance showed that she had run all the way back.
Jiang Yi stepped forward to help her tidy up her wind-blown hair. "Thank you for your hard work, Xia Zhi."
Xia Zhi laughed heartlessly: "What are you saying, Miss? This is what Xia Zhi should do."
After much deliberation, Jiang Yi realized that the person in question was, after all, the original owner's biological mother. Living alone and helpless in the backyard of the mansion, with no one to rely on, and Jiang Musong being unreliable, it was easy to imagine the hardships and difficulties Song Xuqiu had faced. In the end, she decided to ask Xia Zhi to help buy some gifts to take over as an apology.
That's all she could do for the original owner of this body.
"Miss."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Xia Zhi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I apologize to Miss on behalf of Madam."
The three walked towards the capital. Jiang Yi turned her head and smiled, "I don't blame her."
Hearing Jiang Yi say this, Xia Zhi breathed a sigh of relief: "Actually, Madam still cares about Miss. When I returned to the Jiang residence just now, I saw Madam sitting alone under the pavilion, feeling sad. When she saw me return, she kept grabbing me and anxiously asking how Miss's injury was..."
Jiang Yi remained silent, listening quietly to Xia Zhi's explanation.
Before they knew it, the three of them had arrived in the capital.
As they approached the general's mansion, Jiang Yi pressed her tongue against her cheek; it still hurt a little.
"Hey you two, is the slap mark on my face obvious?"
Gu Ziyu and Xia Zhi were taken aback. They looked closely at the red mark on Jiang Yi's left cheek and then nodded in unison.
"Hiss—does it look serious?"
The two nodded again.
It hasn't gone down after so long, and it's even starting to swell.
Xia Zhi frowned and said, "Miss, it must hurt a lot. I'll go to the pharmacy to buy some wound medicine, and then I'll roll a hard-boiled egg on your face. The redness and swelling will heal quickly."
"Don't buy any medicine for now. Let's just make do with hard-boiled eggs for now."
Although Xia Zhi didn't understand her intention, she still nodded obediently and agreed.
After returning to Luoying Courtyard, Jiang Yi originally wanted to apply an egg to reduce the swelling, but unexpectedly He Lin returned even earlier than her.
"He Lin!"
Upon seeing the figure in the courtyard, Jiang Yi shouted with joy and ran towards him, lifting her skirt.
Upon hearing this, He Lin turned around, but before he could respond, a dark figure suddenly jumped into his arms.
Jiang Yi wrapped her arms tightly around He Lin's neck, clamped her legs around his waist and abdomen, and hung her whole body on him.
"You're finally back."
He Lin quickly reached out and steadily supported her. "You're back. Why don't you get down first?"
Jiang Yi couldn't laugh loudly, because her face would hurt if she did. She buried her head in He Lin's neck, smelling the faint sandalwood scent on him, which made her feel inexplicably at ease.
"No, carry me inside."
Upon seeing this scene, the people in the courtyard all avoided looking up at the sky and the ground, glancing in all directions but not at the two people stuck together.
"Cough cough..."
Two deliberate coughs came from ahead. Jiang Yi looked up and saw that Yin Zhaobo was there too.
She quickly jumped off He Lin's back. "Oh, Brother Zhao Bai, what brings you here?"
Yin Zhaobai smiled and squinted, "I came to discuss some things with your He Lin. Unfortunately, I've disturbed you. Goodbye."
"Hey, wait a minute, how's Muya? Have you seen her? Is she with you?"
Yin Zhaobai glanced at He Lin and replied, "Yes, she's with me and she's safe now, so you don't need to worry."
After Jiang Yi learned of the incident at the Prime Minister's residence, she made an attempt to find out more. Shangguan Dehui was to be executed at the end of the year, and his entire family was to be exterminated. However, due to the Empress Consort's repeated pleas, His Majesty pardoned Shangguan Muya. After the government sealed off the Prime Minister's residence, Shangguan Muya disappeared without a trace.
Hearing Yin Zhaobai say that she was alright, Jiang Yi felt a little relieved. With Yin Zhaobai protecting Shangguan Muya, no one should be able to make things difficult for her.
Just as Jiang Yi was about to ask something else, He Lin grabbed her chin and frowned as he looked at the left side of her face.
What happened to your face?
Yin Zhaobai had undoubtedly noticed the handprint on Jiang Yi's face as well, and asked suspiciously, "Yeah, who hit you?"
Jiang Yi dodged He Lin's hand and stepped into the house to pour herself a glass of cold tea.
"Don't even mention it, it's all too painful to recall. Today is just my bad luck."
Seeing that she didn't want to say more, the two stopped asking. However, He Lin's gaze remained fixed on her, never wavering.
After Yin Zhaobai left, Xia Zhi's round, white hard-boiled eggs were ready. She brought them into the house to help Jiang Yi reduce the swelling on her face, but He Lin took them and told her to leave.
"Oh, young master, are you feeling sorry for me and are you going to apply it for me yourself?"
He Lin shook his head helplessly. Even when injured, Jiang Yi wouldn't keep quiet. Given her temperament, she was definitely not the type to suffer in silence. Who knows what kind of trouble she might cause at the Jiang residence.
"look up."
Jiang Yi obediently tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and looked completely at ease as she waited patiently for He Lin's service.
He Lin gently lifted Jiang Yi's chin with one hand, and with the other hand, he gently rolled a warm egg back and forth on her face.
Looking at the red mark that covered almost half of her face, He Lin couldn't help but frown. "Did the Jiang family bully you?"
"Yes, you must avenge me!"
Jiang Yi had just grinned when her face started to throb, and she hissed several times in a row.
Who hit him?
"My mother?"
He Lin glanced at her with his eyes down, and after a long while, he chuckled and said, "I can't avenge this."
Jiang Yi agreed: "That's true."
He Lin bent down and rubbed her for a while. Jiang Yi would occasionally take a breath to relieve the pain. He didn't ask Song Xuqiu why she hit her. Actually, there was no need to ask. He could guess the answer with a simple guess.
It must have been Jiang Yi's fiery temper that made her stand up for her mother, and her mother, worried that Jiang Yi would offend the Jiang family, had no choice but to resort to violence. She didn't realize that her daughter was no longer the same person she used to be...
"Does His Majesty summon you to the palace for some important matter?"
The two chatted idly for a while.
He Lin took an egg from the celadon porcelain plate next to him and continued, saying casually, "Yes, it's about you."
Jiang Yi was astonished. Could it be that Qi Junxu had complained to his emperor father?!
"What? About me?"
He Lin gently lifted her face to keep her still. "Yes, His Majesty wants to see you. He also heard that you were injured because of me, and he wants me to apologize to He Lin's wife in public."
Jiang Yi didn't react for a moment, and after a moment of stunned silence, she realized that He Lin was referring to his identity as Xi Chen. The thought made her want to laugh.
I tried to suppress my laughter, but the more I tried, the more I wanted to laugh.
"Pfft... Hahahaha... You've finally met your match! Ouch, that hurts so much..."
Seeing her laughing even though her face hurt, He Lin unconsciously raised the corners of his lips: "Okay, stop laughing."
"So you mean you're going to apologize to me in the main hall as Xi Chen?"
"Um."
"Tsk tsk tsk, alright then, I'll wait and see." Jiang Yi raised her head, looking just like a proud peacock, and patted He Lin's shoulder with her other hand. "Don't worry, I promise I won't make things difficult for you, Lord Xi Chen."
He Lin replied indulgently, "Yes, then thank you for showing mercy, Madam."
Upon hearing the last two words, Jiang Yi instantly fell silent, a suspicious blush creeping onto the tips of her ears. She stammered softly, "You...you should rub it again for me. How can I go to an audience with such a swollen face..."
...
On the day of the audience, Jiang Yi specially asked Xia Zhi to help her choose a more dignified and proper dress. After all, she was going to see the emperor, and if she made a mistake in front of the emperor, her life would be in danger.
Jiang Yi was so nervous, she had never been this nervous before. In the dead of winter, her palms were sweating profusely.
The long steps stretch upwards, seemingly without end.
Jiang Yi stood below the main hall, taking deep breaths and exhaling repeatedly.
"Miss, what's wrong?"
Xia Zhi asked in a low voice from behind.
Jiang Yi stretched and said, "It's nothing, I'm just a little nervous."
"Don't be afraid, Miss. Didn't the young master say that with Lord Wu Yuan and His Highness the Crown Prince here, they will help you?"
"You're right, I'm not nervous, I'm not afraid."
After saying that, Jiang Yi turned around and saw that Xia Zhi was shaking like a leaf, trembling all over. This inexplicably tickled Jiang Yi's funny bone, and she couldn't help but chuckle a couple of times, which made her feel much more relaxed.
Before long, a young eunuch ran down the steps.
"Miss Jiang, His Majesty requests your presence."
Jiang Yi nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble."
"Please come with me."
Jiang Yi had only taken two steps when she suddenly turned back and winked at Xia Zhi, indicating that she was fine. Xia Zhi nodded knowingly, but her eyes were still filled with worry.
She knew Jiang Yi's temper all too well, and hoped nothing bad would happen.
The Taiji Hall was solemn and magnificent, with its golden inscriptions standing out. The plaque was as big as half a wooden door. Guards stood on both sides of the long steps, and no move could escape their watchful eyes. The five ridges and six beasts on the eaves looked quite frightening. As expected of the main hall of the imperial palace, Jiang Yi truly felt what it meant to have an aura.
Thinking about it now, those assassins in ancient times were quite remarkable. Just looking at them makes my legs weak, let alone actually assassinating them...
Jiang Yi followed the young eunuch into the main hall, trying her best to control her eyes and not look around. She quietly made her way to the center of the hall and listened attentively as the young eunuch reported to the emperor.
"You're Jiang Yi?"
A deep, steady voice came from above, as loud as a bell, very powerful.
Jiang Yi suppressed her wildly beating heart, swallowed hard, and carefully recalled the answering techniques He Lin had taught her. No matter what His Majesty asked, she had to add "Your Majesty" before it.
She bowed her head and replied, "Your Majesty, I am Jiang Yi."
Upon hearing this, the hall fell into an eerie silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Jiang Yi was puzzled and thought she had said something wrong. Just as she looked up, she saw that several people in the hall were looking at her: Qi Junyuan, Wu Yuan, and the chief eunuch standing next to the dragon throne. The most oppressive one was Emperor Liang. Even though the person above slightly raised his eyes, as if it was a casual glance, it was still terrifying!
Good heavens, the old saying that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger is absolutely true! Anyone would feel immense pressure under such a gaze!
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